St. Vincent Presents Olivia Rodrigo the Variety Storyteller Award With Glowing Speech About Her Songwriting

With the intention to be an excellent storyteller, one should—to cite Olivia herself—take note of issues most individuals ignore. Olivia sees the cracks and contradictions in herself and others and makes the ineffable comprehensible and transformational for her listeners. Her trustworthy songs concerning the inconceivable activity of rising up have liberated so many younger individuals combating and fumbling their methods via the identical experiences. Nevertheless it’s not merely paying consideration that issues to the craft of songwriting. It’s additionally the way you observe and the way you hear.

And that’s what’s particular about Olivia, and why her followers take into account her songs their private rallying cries, is that she bears witness from a spot of openness and compassion. Her authenticity—not an have an effect on, not a model—permits her listeners to step inside her songs as their full selves: struggling, looking out, celebrating, simply dwelling. Simply being. Olivia’s songs pull off the magic trick of sounding like all of us without delay, but in addition uniquely identical to her. I name {that a} sly generosity, which is an exquisite factor to witness and to listen to, and it’s one of many causes I’ve so loved attending to know Olivia over the previous few years.

Olivia is, to me, how ought to I say it…a valuable child angel muffin, but when a valuable child angel muffin was robust as nails and funky as hell and fuckin’ beloved the Breeders. She is shockingly gifted, whip good, and to me, a very powerful mixture, curious and type. These attributes make her nice and can make her an incredible storyteller for years to return. Olivia’s listening, she’s asking, she’s interrogating the cracks in herself and in humanity. However due to her empathy, what she brings to the floor in her songs are the small frailties and the slivers of pleasure—these threads that make up our each single day. She pays consideration to the issues most individuals ignore, and makes them not simply seen, however makes them shine. So I’m glad to name her a pal. Congratulations, Olivia.